Derecho Bits and Bods and Mostly Pics

I will not keep going on and on about the derecho event, but I must conclude with some random bits and pics.

Before I forget, let me say how lucky we were. If we had to lose power for 4 days, this was the ideal season. We did not have to contend with the cold and snow of winter. The house did not go cold, and the pipes did not freeze. We also were saved from the heat of summer when the lack of fans and air conditioners would have been mightily difficult to bear.

Our initial damage was minimal. As you already know, we lost some roof shingles, but it was a relatively small patch. The fences were pushed around but, somewhat miraculously, remained upright. We lost half of our lilac bush. The trees in both the front and back stood.

Monday is the day when most of Sue's photos began and when we all set off to Perth for coffee. We enjoyed English muffins and came home with ice and recharged power packs.

Tuesday was the day of coffee and tea by means of the camp stove. Sue had tea. I had instant coffee that seemed delicious. It came from packages that had previously been gratuitously added to grocery pickup orders as a thank you. Who knew that instant coffee could taste so wonderful?

Tuesday was also the afternoon when people came knocking on our door. They were enterprising  roofers who had seen our bare patch. While I am not normally amused by strangers cold canvassing, especially to sell things, this was a godsend. We knew that most roofers would be busy with major repairs for some time, and we didn't know how long we would be left with our little bare patch. Sue, ever with her phone at the ready, took one picture, and then the young woman posed for another.

Tuesday was also the day that Shauna brought pizza  from Perth. It wasn't hot by the time it got to us and then by the time that we got to it, but any port in a storm.

After pizza, we gathered the spoiled food. These were some of the boxes. Fortunately, garbage pickup was the next day, so it didn't have to sit for long. Normally, we are limited to one bag per week unless we were to purchase additional and rather costly stickers. An exception was made this week. Food is heavy, so we used multiple, lighter bags out of deference to the collectors. I will add in passing that we had managed use the bbq to save a lot of chicken before it thawed too much for too long. It was touch and go because the propane ran out. Fortunately, however, when we cut open the chicken, it was cooked sufficiently with no pink to be seen.

I was especially thankful for the restoration of power on Wednesday, for I was able to shower before my medical appointment, also in Perth. Then, we dropped by Shauna's workplace to return the borrowed charger. Sha tries to take her boyfriend's dog, Lola, to work once a week. We had as little playtime before heading home where we could make all of the tea and coffee that a body could want.